1. Field
The current disclosure relates to Passive Optical Network (PON) network equipment, and more specifically to PON network equipment configured to perform a switching operation on optical communication signals compliant with a PON protocol.
2. Description of Related Art
The background information provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventor, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Two approaches for PON deployment include Fiber To The Home (FTTH) and Fiber To The Building (FTTB). In FTTH, optical fiber is laid out all the way to the home. The devices located in the home are PON Optical Network Units (ONU) (e.g. Single Family Unit (SFU) or Home Gateway Unit (HGU)). In FTTB, optical fiber is laid out to the basement of the building and copper wiring is used from the basement to the individual homes in the building. In this approach, the fiber is terminated in the basement of the building with a Multi Dwelling Unit (MDU) ONU or a Multi-Tenant Unit (MTU) ONU.